Students ‘Cover the Night’ to promote Kony 2012

West Virginia University students "Covered the Night" Friday to raise awareness of the Kony 2012 movement.

The WVU Student Advocates for Invisible Children participated in the nationwide event to spread the word about Joseph Kony, a Ugandan leader known for enforcing cruel war tactics across central Africa for more than 26 years.

Leading the Lord’s Resistance Army, Kony has abducted children and forced them into brutal combat, encouraging them to rape, mutilate and kill civilians.

Sociology professor Daniel Brewster helped lead the event, which aimed to cover major cities across the world with posters promoting the movement.

"We raised some money and we raised awareness, but more than that, I watched as young people found themselves," Brewster said. "These advocates strongly and courageously advocated for something that, six weeks ago, everyone around the world was talking about, but something that today only a select few find important. I guess that is how it works in a world of apathy."

The event was followed by a benefit dinner at the Dragonfly restaurant with proceeds going to the Invisible Children’s fund.

Kate Dodsworth, secretary for the Student Advocates for Invisible Children, said she believes it’s important for the WVU community to get involved.

"I feel that the main purpose of our event was to raise awareness of the atrocities that have been and are still going on in Central Africa, and I think our event did just that," Dodsworth said. "Plastering the building with posters was definitely an eye-catcher, and even after leaving Dragonfly, I had people coming up to me asking about my red ‘Kony 2012’ T-shirt. It opened the floor to many conversations about the issue, and I was excited to talk with people."

Jamie Swierkos, a member of the Student Advocates for Invisible Children, said she hopes the "Cover the Night" event showed the community the student body truly cares about these types of issues.

"We want the Morgantown and WVU community to realize the student body is more than the students and their actions from the ‘I’m Shmacked’ videos," Swierkos said. "Even if it is a small portion, we care about something bigger than ourselves."

For more information, visit www.visiblechildren.com.